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Source: Bragar Eagel & Squire

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Reminds Investors That Class Action Lawsuits Have Been Filed Against Wirecard, J2 Global, Verrica Pharmaceuticals, and Deutsche Bank and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

NEW YORK, Aug. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, reminds investors that class actions have been commenced on behalf of stockholders of Wirecard AG (Other OTC: WCAGY, WRCDF), J2 Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: JCOM), Verrica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRCA), and Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB).  Stockholders have until the deadlines below to petition the court to serve as lead plaintiff. Additional information about each case can be found at the link provided.

Wirecard AG (Other OTC: WCAGY, WRCDF)

Class Period: August 17, 2015 to June 24, 2020

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 8, 2020

On June 18, 2020, Wirecard announced that it would delay publication of its annual and consolidated financial statements for 2019 and revealed that about €1.9 billion ($2.1 billion) in cash had gone missing.  The Company also warned that loans up to €2 billion could be terminated.  Additionally, the Company stated that Ernst & Young, the Company’s auditor, was unable to confirm the location of the cash in certain trust accounts and there was evidence that “spurious balance confirmations” had been provided. 

Following the Company’s announcement, Wirecard’s American depositary receipts (“ADRs”) fell $38.30 per ADR, or 65.47%, to close at $20.20 per ADR on June 18, 2020. 

Then, on June 23, 2020, multiple news outlets reported that former Wirecard Chief Executive Officer Markus Braun was arrested in Germany on suspicion of having inflated the Company's balance sheet and sales.  

Wirecard’s ADR price has fallen over 75% following these revelations.

The complaint, filed on July 7, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants, including the Company’s auditor, made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Wirecard overstated its cash balances during the Class Period, falsely claiming €1.9 billion of cash in a trust account that was missing; (2) Wirecard overstated its financial results, including revenue and EBITDA; (3) Wirecard did not have adequate risk management or countermeasures; (4) Wirecard’s auditor failed to audit the Company in accordance with applicable auditing principles; and (5) as a result, defendants’ statements about Wirecard’s business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

For more information on the Wirecard class action go to: https://bespc.com/wirecard

J2 Global, Inc. (NADSAQ: JCOM)

Class Period: October 5, 2015 to June 29, 2020

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 8, 2020

On June 30, 2020, before the market opened, Hindenburg Research published a report (the “Report”) explaining that J2 Global had, among other issues: (i) failed to disclose questionable transactions with related parties; (ii) utilized misleading accounting to hide underperformance and impending impairments; and (iii) failed to disclose a lack of board independence.

On this news, shares of J2 Global fell $6.29 per share, or over 9%, to close at $63.21 per share on June 30, 2020.

The complaint, filed on July 8, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) J2 Global engaged in undisclosed related party transactions; (2) J2 Global used misleading accounting to hide requisite impairments and underperformance in acquisitions; (3) several so-called independent members of the Company’ board of directors and audit committee were not disinterested; and (4) as a result, defendants’ public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

For more information on the J2 Global class action go to: https://bespc.com/JCOM

Verrica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRCA)

Class Period: September 16, 2019 to June 29, 2020

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 14, 2020

Verrica is a dermatology therapeutics company that develops treatments for people living with skin diseases. Its lead product candidate, VP-102, is a drug-device combination of a topical solution of cantharidin administered through the Company’s single-use precision applicator. The Company is initially developing VP-102 for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum, or molluscum, a highly contagious and primarily pediatric viral skin disease, and common warts.

On June 29, 2020, Verrica disclosed receipt of a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regarding the Company’s New Drug Application (“NDA”) for VP-102 for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum. The letter identified certain deficiencies that preclude discussion of labeling and post-marketing requirements. Moreover, according to the Company, the FDA’s information requests have included a “specific request related to a potential safety issue with the applicator that could arise if the instructions for use were not properly followed.”

On this news, the Company’s share price fell $3.06, or nearly 22%, to close at $11.01 per share on June 30, 2020.

The complaint, filed on July 14, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company’s proprietary applicator used for VP-102 posed certain safety risks if the instructions were not properly followed; (2) that, as a result, Verrica would incorporate certain user features to mitigate the safety risk; (3) that the addition of the user feature would require additional testing for stability supportive data; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, regulatory approval for VP-102 was reasonably likely to be delayed; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

For more information on the Verrica class action go to: https://bespc.com/VRCA

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB)

Class Period: November 7, 2017 to July 6, 2020

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 14, 2020

On May 13, 2020, media outlets reported that the U.S. Federal Reserve had sharply criticized Deutsche Bank’s U.S. operations in an internal audit. The audit reportedly found that Deutsche Bank had failed to address multiple concerns identified years earlier, including concerns related to the bank’s anti-money laundering (“AML”) and other control procedures.

On this news, the value of Deutsche Bank’s ordinary shares fell $0.31 per share, or 4.49%, to close at $6.60 per share on May 13, 2020.

Then, on July 7, 2020, the Federal Reserve’s criticism of Deutsche Bank’s failure to address its AML and other issues was reaffirmed when the New York State Department of Financial Services fined the bank $150 million for neglecting to flag numerous questionable transactions from accounts associated with sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein and with two correspondent banks, Danske Estonia and FBME Bank, both of which were the subjects of prior scandals involving financial misconduct.

On this news, the value of Deutsche Bank’s ordinary shares fell $0.13 per share, or 1.31%, to close at $9.82 per share on July 7, 2020

The complaint, filed on July 15, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the bank’s business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Deutsche Bank had failed to remediate deficiencies related to AML, its disclosure controls, and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, and its U.S. operations’ troubled condition; (ii) as a result, the bank failed to properly monitor customers that the bank itself deemed to be high risk; (iii) the foregoing, once revealed, was foreseeably likely to have a material negative impact on the bank’s financial results and reputation; and (iv) as a result, the bank’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

For more information on the Deutsche Bank class action go to: https://bespc.com/DB

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com.  Attorney advertising.  Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. 

Contact Information:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.
Melissa Fortunato, Esq.
Marion Passmore, Esq.
(212) 355-4648
investigations@bespc.com
www.bespc.com